


Childhood crush

by Sealpotato



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: But mostly fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Saimami, amasai, kaito is here for the banter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:41:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28702320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sealpotato/pseuds/Sealpotato
Summary: Shuichi Saihara and Rantaro Amami used to be inseparable friends in elementary school. Until one summer, Rantaro disappeared from Shuichi's life forever...At least that's what Shuichi thought, until one day, Rantaro made his way back into his life.
Relationships: Amami Rantaro/Saihara Shuichi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 50





	1. A fateful encounter

**Author's Note:**

> This is a non-despair AU where Rantaro and Shuichi were childhood friends. There's no Hope's Peak, just regular college and stuff. The characters are aged up to be in their early 20s.

It started out as a regular morning for detective Shuichi Saihara. Ever since he started his first full-time job after graduating a few months ago, he’d usually stop by the coffee bar on his way to the office. Sure, homemade coffee was alright, but the delicious brew of this place really helped kickstart his day. Detective work was quite intensive after all, and he needed something strong to make it through the day. However, coffee wasn’t the thing that shook Shuichi wide awake this particular morning. It was the figure he spotted sitting at the bar counter. Shuichi rubbed his eyes for a moment, feeling like he was still half asleep, but that all-too-familiar green hair was unmistakable. Hesitantly, he scuffled towards the guy and lightly tapped him on the shoulder.

“Rantaro? Is…is that you?”

Shuichi felt a bit anxious that he was mistaken and had just touched a complete stranger, but deep down he knew that that couldn’t be the case. Rantaro was a dear childhood friend. Not just _a_ friend, in fact, they’d been inseparable throughout the entirety of elementary school. He’d definitely recognize the person that he’d spent most of the first years of his life with. 

Upon hearing Shuichi’s voice, the young man at the bar turned around on his stool. Shuichi’s attention was immediately drawn to the numerous piercings on his ear and eyebrow. He remembered that Rantaro used to wear earrings to school every day. Seemed like that hobby had gotten slightly out of hand. More importantly, it turned out that his observation was correct. After all these years, he was standing face to face with his best friend from once upon a time.

Rantaro broke out in a wide smile as soon as he saw Shuichi standing next to him.

“Shuichi? Wow, who’d have thought I’d meet _you_ here? Small world, huh? Wanna join me for coffee?”

He gave a quick nod toward the seat next to him, to indicate that spot was free. And he didn’t have to ask twice. Shuichi sat down and nervously adjusted his hat. He felt strange, to suddenly see this familiar face again. Rantaro had grown up so much, yet at the same time, he barely changed at all. 

“Y-Yeah, I was about to order when I saw you. I’m really surprised, I always thought I’d never see you again. It’s really been a long time, hasn’t it?”

Rantaro nodded.  
“Yeah, I wonder how long exactly…nine years? Maybe ten? Honestly, I lost count. But I’d recognize that tone in your voice anywhere, even if it is a little deeper than before. Still timid as ever, yeah? But that’s the Shuichi I’ve come to appreciate!” Rantaro tapped the brim of Shuichi’s hat playfully, almost causing it to fall off his head. Shuichi hurriedly readjusted it again, and both of them chuckled.

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Shuichi had never been the best at keeping up a conversation. Especially now. There was so much he had to say to Rantaro. So much to catch up on. But he didn’t know where to start. Luckily for him, Rantaro got straight to the most important matter. 

“So, what were you going to order?”

Before Shuichi could reply, the booming voice of the barista turned up.

“Oh, this guy? He always wants his coffee pitch black! Poor fella works so hard, good thing I’m always here to serve a little boost! Am I right, Shuichi? Here you go!”

The barista placed a cup of fresh, steaming hot coffee in front of Shuichi. Shuichi smiled and took the cup into his hands. 

“Thanks, Kaito. I appreciate it, as always.”

“Anytime, bro! But say, who’s your new friend? This is the first time I’ve seen you talk to anyone else here. You guys on a date or something?” Kaito grinned in such a genuine way that Shuichi started suspecting that he didn’t mean that question as a joke, and he couldn’t stop his cheeks from heating up in embarrassment. Especially when he caught Rantaro winking at Kaito.

“Ah, n-no, nothing like that!” Shuichi spoke a little bit _too_ loudly to emphasize his point, desperately trying to ignore how Rantaro was smirking next to him.  
“This is Rantaro, he’s a childhood friend of mine. Rantaro, this is Kaito. I come to this cafe every single day, so we’ve gotten to know each other quite well.”

Rantaro waved at Kaito.  
“Nice to meet you. Glad you’ve been taking care of Shuichi.”

Kaito gave the two of them a thumbs up.  
“Of course! I see how it is. I’ll let you two do your thing. Enjoy your coffee, it’s on the house today!” And just like that, he was gone again, to cater to the other customers. 

“He’s quite the direct one, isn’t he?“ Rantaro said. “Makes me happy to see that you’re getting along well.”  
  
Shuichi nodded. “Yeah, he always asks me about my day. It’s nice to have someone to let off some steam to. Most of my school friends aren’t around here anymore, and I live in an apartment by myself, so it’s been a little lonely.”

He took a sip of his coffee before continuing. “That’s why…I’ve caught myself thinking about you again, recently. I…I always wondered why you never came back after that summer vacation.”

“Oh, so you remember that, huh?”  
Rantaro put his hand on the back of his head and smiled apologetically.  
“It’s a long story, so let’s save that for another time, yeah? I’m more curious about _you_ right now. Did you end up following your dream of becoming a detective?”

Shuichi was really hoping to get more information than just a simple “it’s a long story”, but he could understand that Rantaro probably felt the same way, so he didn’t mind the sudden change of subject all that much.

“Yes, I did. I graduated from the academy a few months ago. At the moment, I’m working for a local detective agency. I really enjoy it, even though I’m usually drowning in paperwork. Solving a mystery and making the client happy makes it all worth it.”  
Talking about it made Shuichi’s eyes glimmer.

“Paperwork, huh?” Rantaro sounded surprised. “I guess being a detective isn’t always as flashy as it sounds. Good job on making it there, though! Not everyone is cut out to be a detective. But I knew _you_ of all people could do it, Shuichi! I’m happy for you.”

“R-really? What makes you say that?”

“C’mon Shuichi, are you really asking me that?” Rantaro grinned. “Don’t you remember how we often used to go on these kinds of quests? I’d hide something, like, your favorite candies for example. Then I’d give you riddles to their location, but you always solved them so fast! You really gave me a hard time to make it even a _little_ challenging for you.” He chuckled.  
“And besides, ever since your uncle took you in, you were always saying how it was your dream to become just like him. That was adorable, honestly.”

Shuichi remembered those games all too well. He’d spent so much time wishing they could play it just one last time, ever since that one summer Rantaro disappeared from his life. Talking about it now, he slowly felt the grief of losing his best friend creeping back up on him, despite the fact that this friend was currently sitting right next to him. It felt surreal. They were talking as if no time passed at all. But it did. And it had taken a toll on Shuichi. He needed at least _some_ kind of answer to the countless questions in his mind.

“Of course I remember,” he said with a faint smile, “Those moments we shared have a very special place in my heart, I…I missed them.”  
He gulped down another sip of coffee, and braced himself to ask Rantaro once again.  
“I just want to know why you-“

Those mumbled words barely made their way out before they got interrupted by Rantaro, who probably failed to hear them in the first place. _Probably_.

“Hey, Shuichi, if that’s the case, why don’t we exchange numbers? Would be nice to be able to talk some more after we have to leave this place.”

Before Shuichi could say anything in return, Rantaro handed his phone over. Shuichi was worried for his life that he’d accidentally drop the expensive-looking thing. He almost felt embarrassed to hand over his own ancient flip phone.

“Wow, this is old-school, but I like it! No need for all those fancy bells and whistles, yeah?” Rantaro said cheerfully as he added his number to the contact list. Shuichi did the same, and they swapped phones once again.

It began to sink in to Shuichi that his best friend had now officially come back into his life. He felt happy, of course, but a wave of concern ran through him as well.  
Was Rantaro still the same as he remembered? Lots of things could’ve changed in those nine years. The Rantaro he knew never would’ve abandoned him the way he did. At least, that’s what he wanted to believe. But the truth was that Rantaro did abandon him. So what in the world happened? He figured that pressing the matter right now wouldn’t result in any answers though. Rantaro would likely be quick to cut off the topic again. So he decided to try to focus on something else.

“So….what brings you here, anyway?” Shuichi brought up hesitantly.

“Oh, one of my step-moms lives around here. I’m staying over at her house for a little while. I had no idea you lived in this city, otherwise I would’ve tried to find you sooner, of course. Because I also missed having you around, Shu.”

Shuichi felt a shiver run through him. He hadn’t heard that nickname in such a long time. Rantaro was the only one who’d ever called him that. It felt strangely comforting to hear it again. But that comfort quickly made way for anger.  
Suddenly overwhelmed, he raised his voice and spat out his years of pent-up frustration before he even realized it.

“You….you missed me? Then why did you leave, Rantaro? Why? You suddenly show up here, we chit- chat as if nothing happened, but what gives? You left me behind, and it might have been for good if we hadn’t seen each other here by chance. And for what? You….you hurt me a lot…”

Several customers and a confused Kaito pointed their gaze towards the scene that was unfolding. But Shuichi didn’t notice. He was too busy trying to suppress the tears welling up in his eyes.

“ _Please, not again, not now. I’m a grown man, I shouldn’t cry over this…”_

In a heartbeat, Rantaro got up from his chair and pulled out a clean tissue from his pocket. He gently pressed it into Shuichi’s hands, who gratefully took up the offer and wiped his teary eyes. This wasn’t the first time they went through something like this. Shuichi had always been prone to crying in stressful situations, and in those early childhood years, Rantaro was already quick to notice this. He’d made it a habit to bring a tissue with him to school every day, in case Shuichi might be in need of one. Even now, it seemed that habit still lingered.

Rantaro wrapped his arm around Shuichi and rubbed his hand on the shaking detective’s arm to calm him down. Kaito, who was just about to step in and give Rantaro a piece of his mind for making Shuichi cry, decided against that when he noticed what was happening. Still, he didn’t take his gaze off the two for even a single moment as Shuichi slowly but surely regained his posture. Eventually, after the tears stopped, Shuichi managed a quiet “S-sorry, I...I shouldn’t have-”

“You’re right, you shouldn’t have.” As opposed to the warmth of the comfort Rantaro was providing mere moments ago, the tone in his voice was cold and bitter. “I told you I don’t want to talk about it. I’m sorry for everything, Shuichi. I really am. But I’ll be going now. I…have a lot to think about.”

And just like that, he took off. Shuichi sat there dumbfounded, wet tissue still in his hands. Their encounter ended just as abruptly as it started.

It was going to be a rough day at work.


	2. Shuichi has a bad time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the bar incident, Shuichi is unsure what to do. Is Rantaro ever going to reply to his texts?

That night, Shuichi found himself unable to sleep. He was lying in his bed, the only source of light in his room being the tiny screen of his phone shining onto his face. He couldn’t stop staring at the newly saved contact. It was registered under the name “Taro”, which was the nickname that Shuichi often used for Rantaro. The fact that Rantaro remembered it made Shuichi feel all the more conflicted. First there was the matter of the tissue, and now this. Surely, if Rantaro still bothered with those old habits, that must mean he still cared, right? But if he did, why did he never come back? Ever since their reunion, that was the single question that had been repeating itself through Shuichi’s mind over and over again.  
Thinking back to the incident at the coffee bar made his stomach tie in a knot. He definitely shouldn’t have snapped like that, he thought. Then again…Rantaro shouldn’t have been so secretive. Didn’t he have the right to know at least a little bit more?

Shuichi groaned and turned to lie down on his side, his gaze still fixed onto the phone screen.  
They didn’t exactly part ways on good terms, but one text wouldn’t hurt, right? Maybe he could apologize, or even ask to hang out again, because as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he felt himself craving to see Rantaro again. Just a little while longer, even if it was just once. Just like the good old times. Mind blank, Shuichi’s fingers started tapping on the buttons of his phone to write a text message.

“Taro, I’m sorry about today-“

No, too casual.

“Hello Rantaro, I sincerely apologize for what happened at the bar this morning-“

No, no, too formal.

“Rantaro, I messed up today, sorry. Can we please hang out again soon?”

Too forward.

Shuichi frowned as he deleted the text for the third time. He sighed and took a moment to really think this through, before he started writing once again.

“Hey Rantaro, I apologize for what I did earlier. Would it be okay with you to meet up again? I’d like to have another chance to talk to you.”

That still sounded a little bit too needy for Shuichi’s liking, but at this point, he was getting too tired to care. He hit the send button and finally started drifting off to sleep, phone still clutched in his hand.

When Shuichi woke up in the morning, the text was the first thing on his mind. With a heartbeat that had no business to be as fast as it was, he opened up his phone to check if there was any reply. There were no new messages. Okay, no big deal, he sent that text late and it was still early in the morning currently. He probably still hadn’t checked his phone. Shuichi told himself these things to soothe his disappointment a bit.

Shuichi was completely out of it at work that day. The progress on the case he was currently working on was far from the goal he’d set for himself. Admittedly, that goal was very high, so it wasn’t the end of the world, but it still caused Shuichi to feel upset with himself. He kept telling himself he had more important things to worry about than Rantaro or some stupid text, but it was now 5 pm and there was still no reply, and Shuichi’s mood seemed to get worse with every passing minute now.

And just like that, the day was over. Once again in bed, Shuichi opened the text he’d sent the day before. He read it again and again, his mind spiraling into a mess of overthinking. Was it too much to ask to hang out again? Was the apology lacking? Or…did Rantaro register the wrong number on purpose? Did Rantaro hate him after what happened? Did he never want to talk again?

Desperately trying to push those thoughts away, he decided to text one more time. Just to make sure Rantaro hadn’t accidentally missed it.

“Rantaro, did you read my text? I don’t mean to bother, but I’d really appreciate it if you could reply.”

That seemed alright. Shuichi hit send once again, and went to sleep.

One more day passed.

And another.

It was on the fourth day that Shuichi decided he’d waited long enough. If Rantaro truly wanted to stay in contact, he would’ve texted back by now. Besides, this situation was causing him a lot of stress, which was something he already had plenty to spare of, even without all this. Not only was he checking his phone at every opportunity he had, he also caught himself wishing every morning that he’d run into Rantaro again at the bar. He even asked Kaito if he’d seen him around, with no success.

Now alone in his room, Shuichi opened up his phone to check the text messages one last time. As expected, there was nothing new.

He could feel tears well up in his eyes as he shakily brought his finger to the “delete contact” button. With a simple push of that button, he could put this whole situation behind him, he thought. He could just pretend it never happened. At least now he knew Rantaro was still safe and healthy, and in the end, that was really all that mattered, right? Why was he so obsessed in the first place? This couldn’t be normal. It had to stop.

He hesitated for a few moments, but finally, he decided to rip off the proverbial band-aid.

_Contact deleted._

Shuichi couldn’t sleep that night.

~

* _ding ding_ *

Shuichi shook up from his slouched position at his desk. He rubbed his baggy eyes and blinked slowly. He hadn’t been able to catch a healthy amount of sleep ever since the night he deleted Rantaro’s number, and it showed. It had almost been a week now. Focusing on work had been impossibly difficult, even though he was trying his best. Even Kaito’s coffee didn’t help much. But for the first time in a week, Shuichi was completely wide awake and alert. He could thank the little ringtone that just played for that. It instantly made him realize that Rantaro still had his number, and his heart skipped a beat.

Eagerly, he reached to grab the phone, almost knocking over a pile of important documents in the process. He flipped it open and there it was: a text popup. 

“ _FROM: unknown anonymous number, 11.38 a.m.  
_ Hey Shu, so sorry I haven’t been in touch. Something came up. Hangout would be great. Are you available tonight at 8? You’re welcome at my place. It’s just me here rn.”

Shuichi barely finished reading the text when a second one popped up with an address.

“Something came up”? This guy could really stand to be less cryptic, Shuichi thought to himself.  
Against his better judgment, (because who in their right mind would agree to meet up one on one at the house of a person who you _technically_ don’t really know, at least not anymore), he immediately typed a reply.

“Yes, 8 sounds good. I’ll be there.”

Feeling excited at first, it wasn’t until after Shuichi sent the text that he realized what he just agreed to. Not only was he, the definition of social anxiety, going to be alone with Rantaro in private, with no easy way out like at the bar, he was also a complete wreck due to his lack of sleep. Anxiety was already knocking at the door of his mind, and no doubt it was only going to get worse from here.

This was definitely a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't think of a better chapter title lmao


	3. The epic quest for...what, exactly?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi finally visits Rantaro for the first time. Rantaro prepared something for him.

It didn’t take Shuichi a long time to find the address where he needed to be. He was quite familiar with this part of the city, since he handled a case in the neighborhood before. It was clear that it was home to the more wealthy inhabitants, and it turned out Rantaro’s house, or, well, Rantaro’s step-mom’s house, was just the same. It was a standalone house, very modern-looking, yet radiating a cozy atmosphere. Colorful flowers were in bloom in the spacious front yard, and a welcome sign was hanging next to the door. That wasn’t enough to calm the nervous detective down, though. After checking the address one last time, just to be sure he was at the right place, and definitely not as an excuse to stall for time, he stepped towards the door with shaking knees. He inhaled deeply and prepared to ring the doorbell, however, his hand stopped mid-air when he noticed a piece of paper was taped in front of it. His natural curiosity taking over, Shuichi gently tugged the paper off the doorbell.

“ _To: Mr Detective._

_It’s time for a quest. Follow the path to the backyard._

_-Taro_ ”

“A message from Rantaro? I don’t see how it could be addressed to anyone other than me, so I suppose I’ll follow the instructions.” Shuichi mumbled to himself as he carefully followed the narrow brick path that seemed to lead behind the house.

The backyard was even bigger than the front yard. There was a lawn with numerous fruit-bearing trees and a pond in the centre. Next to the rear entrance to the house was a little hangout spot, with a coffee table and several chairs surrounding it. Shuichi would’ve liked to sit down there with a fresh cup of coffee, if it weren’t for the fact he was now apparently on a mission, though he had no idea what the goal was.

Looking around carefully, Shuichi spotted a brightly red colored piece of paper in the grass near his feet. He picked it up, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a candy wrapper. Shuichi knew this had to be an important clue if he found it in a place like this. Especially because this was his favorite type of candy. Though, just a piece of candy wrapper wasn’t much of a hint to what to do next. Shuichi didn’t have to wonder long however, because soon enough he spotted another one, not too far from where he found the first one. And then another. Shuichi realized that this was probably the path he was supposed to follow.

Following one piece of paper after the other, Shuichi’s scavenger hunt came to an abrupt end when he nearly tripped over a shovel on his path. There was a note attached to it.

“ _To: Mr Detective._

_Good job, you found the shovel. Time to dig! Where, you ask? Figure that out for yourself!_

_-Taro_ ”

Shuichi grinned and shook his head. Figured, of course he wouldn’t get a single clue. He started looking around for any leads. A little bump in the otherwise perfectly trimmed lawn caught his attention. He went to take a closer look, and noticed that this part of the lawn had likely been dug into before, judging by the scattered blades of grass and the loose sand. It couldn’t be much more obvious that this had to be the right place to start digging, so that’s what Shuichi did. He didn’t have to dig very deep until he found a small box that looked like some sort of pirate treasure chest. Once again, there was a note attached.

“ _Look behind you.”_

Shuichi held onto the box tightly as he slowly turned around.

“Hey there!”

Startled, Shuichi let out a small squeal and almost dropped the box out of his hands, causing the greenette in front of him to chuckle.

“Sorry, sorry, didn’t mean to startle ya.” Rantaro held his hands up apologetically. “But you found it! I knew you could do it!”

Rantaro’s relaxed smile helped Shuichi to calm his nerves a little bit.

“That…that was quite an entrance,’ he said, “where did you come from?”

“Oh, I was watching you from behind that tree the whole time. You were so in your element, you didn’t even notice me. Not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing for a detective, but it’s impressive either way, don’t you think?” Rantaro grinned.

Feeling a little bit embarrassed by this oversight, Shuichi decided to change the topic.

“A-anyway, what’s… _all_ of this? What’s in the box? I’m very confused.”

“Don’t worry about that Shuichi, you’ll see what’s in there in just a moment. But how about we sit down first? We got the perfect hangout spot right here in the garden.” He pointed towards the little coffee corner that Shuichi had spotted on his way into the backyard.

Shuichi agreed, after which they made their way back and settled down. Shuichi found the quiet summer evening atmosphere quite pleasant, even more so with Rantaro by his side. He closed his eyes for a moment and took in the fresh, flowery-scented air around him.

“You seem content.” Rantaro noted, causing Shuichi’s cheeks to flush as he felt like Rantaro had just read his mind. Paying no mind to it, Rantaro continued. “Honestly, I’m glad to see it. I was hoping this little quest I prepared would distract you from your anxiety a bit. I know how it is with you, Shu.” He nudged Shuichi’s arm playfully, in hopes of getting him to loosen up a bit. Much to his delight, he got a smile from the detective in return.

“W-well, I suppose it did help a bit. I…I admit I was nervous when I arrived here, but now I’m just really curious what’s in the box. May I open it?”

“Of course Shu, you earned it!”

The box was sealed off with a tiny sliding mechanism. After fiddling with it for a moment, Shuichi managed to unlock it. He gently took the contents out of the box. It was a small black hat, the size a child would wear. It seemed to be well-worn but still in decent shape overall. 

“Hey, I recognize this!” Shuichi’s eyes widened. “This is the hat that I lost back in…third grade, was it?”

Rantaro nodded. “Yup. Hit the nail right on the head. I, um, I wanted to apologize for that.” he said with a remorseful smile.

“Apologize? What for?” Shuichi asked, his gaze still fixed on the hat, examining every inch of it.   
“I lost this thing myself, didn’t I? And you just brought it back to me, though, how you found it is beyond me.”

“Let me explain,” Rantaro said, “But please don’t kill me, because I know how much you like your hats.” He tapped the brim of the hat Shuichi was currently wearing, and unlike that time at the bar, Shuichi wasn’t fast enough to stop it from falling off his head.

Feeling exposed, Shuichi quickly averted his eyes from his friend. Turned out that making eye contact with him didn’t come easy anymore, after so much time had passed. And Shuichi hated to admit that to himself.

Rantaro noticed how flustered and uncomfortable Shuichi had become, and immediately regretted his playfully intended gesture. He grabbed the hat from the ground behind Shuichi’s chair and gently placed it back on his head.

“Really sorry about that. That really didn’t help my cause, did it?” He chuckled nervously.

“I-it’s okay, really, I don’t mind. Please continue.” Shuichi replied softly.

“Alright Shu, if you say so. But please do tell me if I ever cross a line I shouldn’t cross, yeah?”

Shuichi nodded.

“Okay, I’ll just cut right to the chase then,” Rantaro continued. “You didn’t lose your hat by accident. I was the one who stole it from you. So, yeah, I wanted to apologize for that.”

Shuichi looked up in surprise.

“ _You_ stole it? B-but that makes no sense…you even helped me search for it!”

Rantaro grinned and shook his head. “Yeah, I was just pretending. Didn’t wanna be a suspect, y’know?”

“But…why? I don’t understand…I really liked that hat, and you knew that, so why would you…?

“It was exactly for that reason. You know how I’d often travel with my family, even outside of school vacations, yeah? I always missed having you around on those trips, so I wanted to bring something of yours with me. I wanted that so much that I even went to the length of stealing this from you. It brought me a lot of comfort throughout the years, but I know I never should’ve stolen it, Shu. I’m sorry.”

It took Shuichi a moment to process all this. To think that Rantaro still felt the guilt of his “crime” back in elementary school, and that he went through all this effort to make things right, even after all this time. The realization made Shuichi smile.

“Hey, um, I really don’t mind,” he said, “I remember being sad about it, but I got a new hat soon after, so it was not really a big deal. And knowing now, that this hat made you so happy somehow….that makes me happy, too. So I….I want you to keep it.” 

Rantaro looked to Shuichi in surprise. “You mean it?”

Shuichi nodded, and before he realized it, he felt himself being pulled into Rantaro’s arms for a hug. 

“I really appreciate this Shu, thanks.” He mumbled close to Shuichi’s ear. “I promise I’ll keep it safe with me. Gotta admit, that’s one heavy burden off my chest.”

“Y-yeah…i-it’s no problem…” Shuichi shyly stammered in reply. Rantaro was very close to him now and it was making him feel all flustered. It wasn’t like he never got hugs from his friends, but those hugs never made him feel this way. Being embraced by Rantaro like this, it felt like coming home for the first time in years. He didn’t want to let go. Unfortunately for him though, Rantaro pulled back after just a few moments, but not before he took the chance to ruffle part of Shuichi’s hair that wasn’t safely covered by his hat. He let himself fall back into his chair and immediately noticed how red Shuichi’s face had become. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Much to his surprise though, Shuichi was the one who spoke up first.

“I, um, I also want to thank you. For planning all this.” Shuichi vaguely gestured towards the route he’d followed on his quest.

“Oh, my pleasure! These games always used to be my favorite. Though this was far from my best work, of course. I’m a little rusty in the mystery-making department, since you haven’t been around.” Rantaro grinned. “That reminds me, would you like a candy? I still have a bunch of ‘em leftover.”

~

It was well past midnight when the two of them decided to call it a day. It had been a nice relaxing evening. They’d mostly just been talking, catching up on the years they’d missed out on, while watching the sun set. Thankfully the temperature was still quite pleasant outside, even at this hour. Shuichi was feeling more comfortable around Rantaro with every passing minute they spent together, and at this point, it already almost felt like they’d never parted ways in the first place.   
There was just one glaring issue remaining. The mystery of Rantaro’s disappearance. Shuichi had carefully tried to bring up the topic a couple of times throughout the evening, but every single time Rantaro shut it down in very subtle, yet unavoidable ways. Shuichi didn’t let it get to him this time, though. As a proper detective, he was determined to get to the bottom of it all. It just had to wait till next time.

Next time…?

They were just making their way to the front yard to say their goodbyes when Shuichi suddenly remembered that he didn’t have Rantaro’s number anymore. He groaned just a little too loud, which didn’t go unnoticed by Rantaro.

“What’s up, Shu? Don’t wanna leave me yet?” He noted with a cheeky smile.

“No, I do want to leave, it’s just that…wait, no, that came out all wrong, that’s not how I meant it, umm…” Shuichi struggled to find his words. He didn’t feel ready to ask for Rantaro’s number again. The anxiety that he hadn’t felt anymore since the start of the evening was rushing back into his body.

“Relax, Shuichi, I know. I was just teasing you a bit. Please, tell me what’s on your mind. If you want to, that is.” Rantaro sounded concerned.

Shuichi took a deep breath.

“Can I…Can I have your number again?” He mumbled softly. “I…I lost it, and your texts were anonymous, so…”

“Huh? Sure, no problem! But how does one lose someone’s number, exactly?” Rantaro gave Shuichi a questioning look. Shuichi started trembling a bit, and he figured he was in no condition to lie his way out of this. 

“I may have deleted it…because you took so long to reply to me. I- I thought you didn’t want to see me again after what happened at the bar.”

Shuichi was preparing to get laughed at, but Rantaro simply placed a hand on his shoulder, an apologetic look on his face.

“I understand, that was entirely my bad.” he said. “I had to go on a trip unexpectedly and I didn’t have any reach at all. Of course I still wanted to see you. And I want to see you again after today, as well. So c’mon, hand me your phone.”

Hearing Rantaro say that he wanted to see him again flustered Shuichi so much that he forgot to question what kind of trip would have no reach anywhere whatsoever.

“There we go, we’re all set.” Rantaro said after registering his number once again. “Tonight was a lot of fun. So uh, see you again soon, yeah?”  
  
Shuichi could’ve sworn he saw a slight blush on Rantaro’s face as he spoke those words, but it was too dark to properly confirm it, so he wrote it off as his imagination.

“Yeah. See you soon.”


	4. The truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Shuichi finally be able to figure out Rantaro's mystery?

Shuichi was on his way to the coffee bar. He just got out of the office. Today he finally wrapped up the big case he’d been working on for a while, right on schedule. He made plans to celebrate with Rantaro after work, but he still had a bit of time to spare.

Kaito’s face lit up as soon as Shuichi entered the establishment.  
“Shuichi!” He yelled from behind the bar, earning him some dissatisfied glares from the customers he was in the process of serving. “How’s it going? Did you get all the work done like you said you would?”

Shuichi smiled, wondering how this guy didn’t get fired yet.  
“Yes Kaito, I did! I’m just stopping by before going to Rantaro.”

“That guy again? That’s the third time this week, and it’s only Thursday! That’s gotta be a new record. You guys are really good friends now, aren’t ya?”

Shuichi had to admit that it was true. It had only been a few weeks since they started hanging out, but he already felt like they’d become inseparable once again. He took every opportunity he got to meet up, and Rantaro seemed to be just as eager to make time for him as well. At first, Shuichi kept telling himself he was doing all this just to solve the mystery, but at this point, he almost didn’t care about that anymore. He was simply happy to have his friend back in his life.

Kaito took Shuichi’s silent smile as confirmation.

“So what’s the big plan for today? He asked while he brought Shuichi a cup of coffee.

“I don’t know, actually. Rantaro asked me to meet him at the station. I’m not sure why _there_ of all places, but I’ll figure that out soon enough.” Shuichi put some cash on the counter and took a careful sip of his drink.

“Huh, interesting. I sure hope he isn’t leaving or something! You’ve been looking much more cheerful lately, and my gut’s telling me that that guy is a big reason for that.”

Shuichi felt his stomach tie in a knot at the thought. He couldn’t bear it if Rantaro left again, not this soon.

“Please…don’t even joke about that.” He uttered quietly.

Kaito noticed the sudden change of mood.

“Aw, sorry Shuichi! Won’t happen again! I’m sure he planned something fun! Here, take this donut for on the way. It’s on the house. And here’s one for Rantaro too. Give him my regards!”

Shuichi chuckled and wondered, once again, how this guy didn’t get fired yet if he kept giving away goods like this. He gratefully accepted the offer and left him a tip, just to make sure he wouldn’t get scolded by his boss later. Looking at his watch, he noticed it was just about time to go. He thanked Kaito once again, grabbed his coffee and the donuts, and made his way to the station.

Upon arriving, Shuichi noticed that Rantaro was already waiting for him near the entrance hall. Rantaro noticed Shuichi from a distance as well, and waved at him with a big smile on his face.

“Hi Taro, I hope you didn’t have to wait too long?” Shuichi asked as he reached into his bag.  
“Here, I brought you a donut, with regards from Kaito.”

“Hmm, that guy from the bar, right? That’s nice of him! Please give him my thanks when you see him again. Though, it might still take a while before that happens.” Rantaro’s tone got serious all of a sudden, much to Shuichi’s confusion.

“What do you mean?” the latter asked. “I see him almost every single day!”

“Well, that might change. You finished your case today, didn’t you Shu?”

Shuichi nodded, still feeling confused. “Yes, I did. That was the main reason why you wanted to meet up today, wasn’t it?”

“Exactly. I have a request for you.” Rantaro seemed to hesitate a moment before continuing. “Now that you’ve finished your other work, I’d like to formally request the services of detective Shuichi Saihara, to find my last remaining missing sister.”

This only brought more questions to Shuichi’s mind, rather than answers.  
“Last remaining missing sister? What does that mean? I didn’t know your sister was missing, and this implies more than one was missing, too?”

Rantaro smiled sheepishly. “I figured you’d react like that. That’s why…I’ve finally decided to tell you everything. I’m sure you already noticed this, but I wasn’t blind to your numerous attempts to question me about why I disappeared. In all honesty, I was scared to tell you, but…I think it’s time.”

Shuichi froze in place. He wasn’t sure if it was because he felt called out, or because he was about to figure out the truth he’d been searching for. Maybe a bit of both. Either way, he was at a loss for words. Rantaro took Shuichi’s silence as a signal for him to continue. 

“The truth is, all twelve of my sisters have gone missing in these past years. It all started that one summer vacation. Long story short, my youngest sister was nowhere to be found, and I hid from our parents, along with my oldest sister, so we could stay behind to find her. That’s why I didn’t come back. But then my oldest sister ended up disappearing too. I’ll save you every separate story, but one way or another, all of them got lost at some point.”

Shuichi stared at Rantaro dumbfoundedly. This was a lot to take in. It almost sounded like a made-up fairy tale, but considering the look on Rantaro’s face, Shuichi could tell that he was being dead serious about this. Not only that, his voice had started trembling as well. There was no doubt in Shuichi’s mind that Rantaro was having a hard time talking about all this.

“…It’s not all bad news, though,” he continued, “Because almost all of them are safe and sound now. Remember that sudden trip I had to attend when you texted me? That was when I found another one of them. The only one that’s still lost is…my youngest sister. That’s why I’m asking you to help me.”

Rantaro suddenly took Shuichi’s hands into his own.

“….Please. You’re the only one I trust with this.”

Shuichi had never seen Rantaro more vulnerable than in this moment. He didn’t have to think twice about his answer.

“Of course, Rantaro. I’ll be more than happy to help you.”

Rantaro’s eyes lit up in relief upon hearing Shuichi’s answer, and he pulled him into a hug.

“Thank you, Shu, thank you so much! I was almost starting to think that I'd never find her, but with you on the team, I think it'll be okay! I love you!”

A shiver ran down Shuichi’s spine upon hearing those words.

“C-come again?” he asked, pulling away from the hug, albeit begrudgingly.

“Ah, sorry, was that too much? I thought, since I was already pouring my heart out, I might as well go all the way.” Rantaro put his hand on the back of his head and blushed.

“You…y-you love me? Y-you mean, like….like, a friend? O-or, like, a brother?” It had been a while since Shuichi felt flustered around Rantaro, but this was probably the worst it had ever been.

Rantaro shook his head and stepped closer to Shuichi, cupping his face into his hands and looking him straight into the eyes. And Shuichi didn’t look away. His cheeks were glowing with heat.

“No…not like that…” Rantaro whispered, slowly bringing their lips closer together. “May I….?”

It all suddenly clicked in Shuichi’s head. All these things he’d been feeling about Rantaro, the butterflies, the longing to be around him, the joy of simply seeing him smile, it all suddenly made sense. He was in love. He had been, for a very long time.

In place of a reply, Shuichi closed his eyes and leaned in for a kiss, which Rantaro eagerly returned. All of Shuichi’s anxiety melted away. For an instant, he forgot the world around him. It was just the two of them, sharing a precious moment.  
  
This felt so right.

Shuichi wished it could’ve lasted forever, but he inevitably had to pull away to catch a breath. Pressing their foreheads together, they smiled at each other. Shuichi didn’t even care anymore that he was looking like a tomato. All he felt was pure bliss.

“My biggest regret…” Rantaro whispered, still holding Shuichi close, “…was never getting the chance to tell you. I wanted to confess after that vacation. But life doesn’t always go as planned, hmm?”

Shuichi chuckled and nodded.

“Yeah, you can say that. I-I definitely didn’t plan to end up here, kissing my childhood crush. But…I’m happy that it turned out like this.”

Rantaro smiled and ruffled Shuichi’s hair in response. He had all the freedom to do so now, since Shuichi hadn’t been wearing his hat lately.

“Well, Shu, did you figure it out yet? Why I invited you to meet me at this place?”

Rantaro reached out his hand to Shuichi as he slowly started walking in the direction of the train platform. Determined, Shuichi took a hold of it.

“Yeah. Let’s go on an adventure together, to find your sister.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi? Abandoning the detective agency just like that? it's more likely than you think.  
> Anyway yay they kissed!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading my garbage :D Any feedback is appreciated!


End file.
